In his first interview since joining Hurtigruten as the line’s new sales boss, Iain Powell tells TTG’s Harry Kemble why getting agents onboard and educating them about the brands’s product offering will be key to its future success.
There is a palpable sense of pride on Iain Powell’s face as he lists the reasons behind his recent move from Saga to Hurtigruten.
In his first interview as Hurtigruten’s UK and EMEA sales and marketing vice-president, Powell tells TTG: “At all levels – including in Oslo [where the line’s HQ is located] – there’s a deep understanding of the importance of trade relationships [and] a real desire to grow and improve those relationships. That, for me, was one of the many appeals of joining Hurtigruten.”
TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus Powell took up his role on 18 March and immediately identified the need to find more agency partners. Trade sales currently amount to around 50% of Hurtigruten’s business but Powell’s ambition is to increase this figure further. He and his team have already held meetings with agency bosses, with more planned in the coming weeks.
“The UK is performing really well,” says Powell. “All the growth indicators are really positive. We’ve got stretching ambitions for 2024 and 2025. The fundamental job we need to tackle is the volume of agent partners we work with. We need to broaden our distribution.”
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